


Unbidden Terrors

by aneclipsedhabitue



Category: Casanova (UK), Mansfield Park (2007)
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-11
Updated: 2017-12-11
Packaged: 2019-02-13 17:15:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,580
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12988695
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aneclipsedhabitue/pseuds/aneclipsedhabitue
Summary: Sometimes he tells his stories all too well...





	Unbidden Terrors

**Author's Note:**

> Contains semi spoilers for Casanova

Fanny always loved a good story. Having grown up in a loveless home, she rarely got told them. She always loved the idea of new adventures, new people and new experiences; good or bad, she loved to hear them all.

Her favorite time of the day was tea time with Giacomo. She had met him in London after he escaped from prison, one of her favorite stories from him. Before they used to exchange stories over tea across from one another at a table, now they could do so in the comfort of their shared home, in front of a warm fire and wrapped in one another’s arms. He, of course loved hearing her recounts of her life at Mansfield Park, no matter how grim. It meant he could kiss her tears away.

“Tell me the story of how you met Rocco, Giac.”

“What was that dog’s name that you loved so dearly?”

“What about the time you healed a priest you sent into cardiac arrest?”

“What about that man Crawford, you mentioned how unsettled he made you?”

“They chased you all through Venice?!”

“Blimey. Edmund really was a dunce wasn’t he?”

“And Henriette was no angel, was she?”

He loved her enthusiasm. The way her eyes always gleamed when he told her of the many places he had been. He even loved when she winced at the gruesome parts of his stories, it meant he could hold her even tighter.

Though his tales always seemed to be light and adventurous, sometimes they went too far. Too dark.

Presently, Giac was awakened by frantic movements from Fanny. He peered his eyes opened and adjusted to the dark where he saw her form shaking and squirming. Her breath came out in gasping shudders and not the ones he was used to hearing in their shared moments of ecstasy. He gently placed a hand on her shoulder but it only made her flinch and cry with more volume. His chest clenched. He propped himself up and leaned over her.

“Fanny? Fanny! Fanny, love wake up. It’s just a bad dream. Fanny, Fanny!”

“Giacomo! Oh no, someone help him! Someone call a doctor! Help me stop the blood! Someone please, help me stop the blood!” Tears poured from her cheeks and she helplessly flailed her body around much to Giac’s horror. “Get off of me, get off of me please! Get off!” She cried. He had never seen her this upset and he was at a complete loss of what to do.

He shook her harder and whispered her name into her ear. “Fanny, come back to me. Come here. Wake up.”

It finally worked as she shot up from the pillows with a strangled shout and quickly turned her head, asserting where she was.

“Fanny? Fanny, look at me. It’s Giacomo. And you’re in our home, and you’re safe.”

Her red-rimmed whisky eyes met his glazed and concerned blues as she choked on a sob and put her hand to her mouth.

“Come here,” he whispered and pulled her to him. “What was that about eh?” He cradled her head to his chest, rubbing his head down her golden curls and across her cheek, clearing away the tear stains.

“I…You…He, and the—“ She hiccuped through more tears and he took her face in his hands.

“Slowly now. Please. Breathe deeply and tell me, Fanny. What’s the matter darling?”

She turned her head down, still in his palms and more tears came as she whispered, “He shot you, Giacomo.”

Giac’s heart plummeted when he instantly what she dreamt about.

When he once again fought for Henriette’s affections, her husband Grimani challenged him to a dual. Even after refusing to fire, Grimani still shot him in his hand. Tricked into crime and a fugitive yet again, Giacomo fled Italy for England where he met Fanny. By then, he was all healed, after a brutal recovery, and Fanny’s presence seemed to make the ache go away.

He was apprehensive to tell her of that, because he feared it would upset her. He hated to be proved right.

“Fanny, I…I’m so sorry.” He pulled her against his chest and pressed a kiss to her hair. “I should have never told you that story.”

She shook her head against him and delicately wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’m sorry, Giacomo.”

“Don’t be. Don’t you dare.” He chuckled through the lump in his throat.

“I asked for the story,” She peered up at him, “I wanted to know. I’m glad you told me…I want to know everything about you.” She pressed her cheek to his chest, specifically her ear to his heart and listened to the steady beat. “I’m sorry I’m…acting so distastefully emotive.”

“Fanny, I don’t blame you for being upset.”

“Y-you don’t?”

“No. Not at all! Honestly if our roles were switched, I’d be upset too.”

She merely sniffed and his heart broke more. He hated seeing her in pain, especially caused by him and furthermore pain that could have been avoided.

“Fanny. My love, talk me through it. What did you dream of?” He maneuvered their bodies so they were resting against the headboard, her head against his shoulder and his arm around her waist.

“I was there…With you in that field you described. Rocco was there and….I saw you two. From a distance and he…I saw you go down and…it seemed to take forever to run to you. And..and when I did, you wouldn’t….There…There was so much blood…And I couldn’t stop it.”

Giac closed his eyes in shame. “Oh Fanny. Fanny I’m—"

“Please, don’t….Please. I don’t want this to change anything.”

“What do you mean?” He furrowed his brow.

“I want you to keep telling me these things, Giacomo. You’re my….I still want to know everything. All your stories, I love them. I really do.”

“Oh, Fanny.”

“Please don’t think me weak for crying.”

“I would never! Come on now, you don’t think I’ve had nightmares about the stories you’ve told?”

Her eyes went wide and her face paled of color.

“What do _you_ dream of?”

He paused for a moment looking down. She ran her hand reassuringly through his hair and waited for him to tell her what was wrong. “Sometimes I dream that he got you. That you’re Crawford’s wife. Sometimes I see you in tears, which enrages me of course…But sometimes I see you happy. You’re laughing and smiling, but at him…In those dreams it actually hurts to see you happy.” He laughed mirthlessly. “God, that sounds awful of me doesn’t it?”

“It doesn’t.” She choked out. And she hugged and squeezed him tightly, “I would never be happy with him. Never! I’m sorry, so sorry. I want you Giacomo. I only love you!”  
He held her against him and nuzzled his face into her hair, murmuring soothing sounds to help calm her.

“Blimey, we’re a right mess.”

She pulled back and laughed breathlessly. “What do we do, Giac?”

He pondered her for a moment, mindlessly stroking her cheek before he said, “We make promises.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“Promises?”

“I promise to continue telling you my stories, as long as you promise me to tell me when you’re upset. That way I can try and prevent your bad dreams.”

She beamed at him and how sweet he truly was, “Yes. I promise. Same to you, please.”

He bent over and kissed her gently. He felt her take his left hand into both of hers and she pressed her lips to his scar. Again, and again, and again.  
“Promise me you won’t get shot again.”

He laughed and clasped her head in his palms, “I promise.” He waited for a moment, “What did Grimani do, after he—?” He hated making her relive it but he felt the need to know.

“He tried to pull me away from you.” She shuddered.

Giac frowned, remembering her yell ‘Get off of me’. He shook his head with a grin and kissed her cheek and neck. “Don’t worry. I’d sooner get shot again before I’d let him lay a hand on you.” He kissed below her ear, “Or any man for that matter.”

She smiled gently, “You mustn’t say such things.”

“Mustn’t I?” He lightly tickled her sides and felt his heart swell upon hearing her laughter. He stroked her hair, “Do you feel better now?”

She smiled, “A little.”

“Want to go back to sleep?”

“No, but I would still like to stay in bed.” She giggled and kissed him passionately and he smiled into her lips and rolled on top of her. All unbidden images of blood soaked clothes and happy smiles at other men were soon forgotten.

Afterward, they laid cuddled together in utter warmth, safety, and love. Fanny asked to hold him that night and he complied with a shy smile, resting on his side and feeling her fit into him. She was still slightly afraid to sleep, and she would talk about it with him in the morning. However in that moment, she was perfectly content holding her Giac. Gently running her free hand which wasn’t clasped together with his and resting under his cheek, down his hair. She pressed her lips to the back of his neck, pecking his skin softly as she matched her breathing with his. Holding onto him for dear life and serenity.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed my lovelies :’)


End file.
